The fun is in the chase
by Reve a deux
Summary: Because what Tsukitachi wants, Tsukitachi gets. Tsukitachi x Jiki
1. Chapter 1

Tsukitachi has a new favourite color: Yellow.

Tsukitachi x Jiki

* * *

Jiki mentally ran through the long list of tasks he had originally planned to accomplish today. He would swing by the herbatorium later to check on his plants then drop by the town marketplace to purchase some supplies and equipment. He was expecting an update from Ryoushi about the chemicals he had submitted for testing, which would decide his next course of action regarding his current project. His stomach rumbled, as if protesting the packed schedule that left no time for a lunch break. But first, he had a meeting with his captain. Tsukitachi has summoned him to his office citing an issue of grave importance. Jiki knew that the words 'grave' and 'importance' meant something entirely different in Tsukitachi's vocabulary.

_Tsukitachi must be up to something._

Taking a deep breath to prepare himself, Jiki knocks lightly on the door of Tsukitachi's office.

"Come in."

Jiki pushes the door open and is immediately greeted with the Tsukitachi brand of exuberance and unnecessary dramatics.

"Jiki-kun! So glad to have you here. Take a seat, take a seat!"

Tsukitachi cocks his head to the left, a lopsided, slightly toothy grin on his face.

"Brandy?"

Jiki's mouth flattened as a look of annoyance crossed his face.

"No thank you. Captain, I believe you have _something of_ _grave importance _to tell me?"

"Why yes, actually. I called you here today to claim my dues."

"Your...dues? Pray tell, when exactly did something as unfortunate and impossible as me entering a bet with you happen?"

Leaning back in his seat, Tsukitachi graces the youth in front of him with a beautific smile.

"Well of course it was last Saturday. Remember the bet we placed about how many female nurses were in love with Akari? Well I said 'ALL' and you said 'NONE' and after a very friendly chat with the lovely nurses in the Research Tower I can safely say that I, of course, won the bet."

Amber irises stared at Tsukitachi behind black-rimmed glasses. He couldn't for the life of him remember anything that happened last Saturday. As he started to bite back a retort that he was far too busy to listen to Tsukitachi's meaningless drabble, his captain's next words stopped him short.

"Ahh...I may have forgotten to mention that you were drunk that night Jiki. It was just a teensy weensy bit of sherry and poof! There you were, drunk as a sailor, singing dirty songs at the top of your lungs. I swear even Hirato got a bit red listening to you. And you know how unflustered he usually is..."

A roaring sound filled Jiki's head, like waves crashing against a rock wall. _Shit._ The last thing he remembered was agreeing reluctantly to a glass of sherry from Hirato and then wham. Nothing.

He shifted in his seat nervously, if what Tsukitachi said was true, he really had entered a bet with the redhead, and lost to boot. He didn't need to ask about the forfeit to know that it would be something he would rather die than agree to do. And god knows he would rather pretend the bet never happened and went on his merry way. But his sense of honour compelled him to ask the dreaded question.

"Forfeit? Oh, don't tell me you don't remember Jiki! It was your idea that whoever lost would have to fulfill the other's wish. So, ready to hear my wish?"

The devious redhead grinned, the air around him positively hummed in anticipation.

Jiki slumped in his chair. Dread filled him. He waved his hand to indicate that Tsukitachi could continue.

"For my wish, I want you to let me kiss you."

"Wait, what?"

"I said, I want you to let me kiss you."

Jiki rubbed his temples. This entire situation was giving him a pounding headache.

"And I suppose I can't refuse nicely?"

"Of course not! Are you suggesting you'll go back on your word?"

The redhead's look of affront was almost comical, almost.

"I am suggesting we drop this farce and forget about the bet," Jiki mumbled crossly, "All right, fine! It's just a kiss right? There will be nothing else, no hanky panky, no touching and definitely no biting. You hear me?"

Tsukitachi beamed back at him.

"I swear on my heart, scout's honor."

"Fine already, let's just get it over and done with."

Jiki stood up impatiently and stepped away from the desk. His shoulders tensed and he gritted his teeth as Tsukitachi rose from his seat and approached him.

"Tsk, tsk. Relax Jiki, it's just a kiss! No need to get so cross about a little kiss."

Tsukitachi placed his hands on Jiki's shoulders and murmured in a coaxing manner. Deftly, he steered the youth backwards so that the edge of the table rested on the back of Jiki's thighs. He chuckled softly as he saw suspicion in the amber gaze.

Raising his hands in a mock surrender, "No touching." Tsukitachi placed both of his palms face down on the table top, one on each side of Jiki. He leaned forwards until their noses were almost touching. Mere inches separated their lips. Then just as suddenly, he leans back.

"Ah, ah, ah! We almost forgot something." he said, and reached out to take off Jiki's glasses, "We wouldn't want this getting in the way."

With the glasses out of the way, Jiki's amber irises gleamed more brilliantly. Apprehension, suspicion and just a hint of interest shone in their depths. Jiki stiffened his spine, as the captain leaned forward. He refused to bend backwards, away from the captain as that would mean giving the redhead the upper hand. Instead, he just stood ramrod straight, and stared defiantly at Tsukitachi. Jiki kept his mouth shut and waiting. He was expecting the touch of lips when he felt a warm breath of air. Startled, his lips parted in surprise. In that instant, Tsukitachi swooped in for the kill. His tongue slipped between Jiki's lips before he could close them. Jiki could only flounder at the sudden attack. Heat coursed through his body as the redhead's mouth slanted over his more forcefully, sucking hard then teasing and tormenting with little nips.

Unable to fight the wave of passion, a soft moan escaped his lips. His hands rise to rest on Tsukitachi's shoulders. All thoughts about the bet and the rules he had demanded earlier fled his mind.

It was all the invitation the redhead needed. Half a step closer and their bodies were now touching. Arms cradling his Jiki's body, Tsukitachi ran one hand through the silver locks of hair while the other travelled down his spine to the cup the curve of his bottom. He pressed them closer, reveling in the warm erection he felt against his thigh. Jiki could deny it as much as he wanted to, but it would not change the fact that they were both attracted to each other.

Tsukitachi ends the kiss, and leans back slightly to admire his handiwork. Gone was the starchy subordinate and in his place stood a well-kissed, panting and disheveled Jiki. It was a view Tsukitachi enjoyed very much. He waited for the effects of their passion-filled kiss to end, for Jiki's senses to come crashing down on him. In preparation, he fixed a wry, almost mocking smile on his face and loosened his grip on the silver-haired man. All the better for him to be pushed aside roughly as his object of affection shoots him a look of pure contempt and stalks out of the room. Tsukitachi let him go for he did not want Jiki under the influence of passion. He wanted more than a kiss, and in return, he offered his heart.

If Jiki had paused at the door and looked back at his captain, he would have seen the longing in his eyes and the out-stretched arm.

_._


	2. Chapter 2

Tsukitachi always gets what he wants. Always.

* * *

"Jikiiiiiiiiiiiii...wait up!"

Amber eyes pierced the first ship's captain who was ambling behind. Jiki's left foot started tapping an impatient tempo as he waited for Tsukitachi to catch up.

"We really will be late if you don't hurry up, _Captain-san_."

"It's not considered late if we are fashionably late!"

The redhead proclaimed cheekily as he finally caught up to his subordinate.

"And only the fashionable are late, hahahaha!"

"Someone tell me why I am accompanying my drunk captain to this meeting again?" With a sigh, Jiki removed the black-rimmed glasses to pinch the bridge of his nose. He was only here because Kiichi pulled in a last minute favour this morning. Considering that she had saved his hide from a near fatal encounter with a Varuga during that last mission, well, he owed her one. Leaving his annoying captain and his whining behind him, Jiki walked briskly to the Research Tower. They were already 5 minutes late for a meeting with the other ship captains.

Every month, the Circus ship captains and their respective right-hand subordinate will convene at the Research Tower for a general meeting. The agenda for each meeting varied, mostly touching on topics such as finances, upcoming missions and R&D.

As always, the head of Circus presided at today's general meeting. He never attended these meetings in person, relying instead on technology to transmit his booming voice and silhouette onto the walls of the meeting room.

"Thank you Akari for the update. And Tsukitachi? What of the first ship?"

"Yes sir, all the missions allocated to the first ship have been completed on time by the crew. We are currently in the process of upgrading the communications system to include..."

Jiki had to admit, his captain cut a fine figure in his captain uniform. The black coat set off his hair nicely, and encased his shoulders like a second skin. As the captain raises his arm to emphasize his point, the fabric stretches taut over firm biceps and a toned abdomen. Jiki looks away quickly, slightly mollified that he had been unconsciously staring. He steals a quick glance at his captain to see if he had noticed. But Tsukitachi's attention is solely fixed on the silhouette on the wall, as he gave a summary of the missions they had completed in the past month. Jiki sighed with relief. If Tsukitachi had caught him ogling, he would never hear the end of it.

"...and that concludes my report for this month." Tsukitachi sank back into his seat and resumed his trademark slouch: his left arm casually placed on the table top, left shoulder leaned against the backrest while the right shoulder dipped low to allow his head to rest on the edge of the backrest. Jiki sat straighter in his seat when Tsukitachi's left arm came to rest just inches away from his own, his senses were on the alert for any devious machinations he had long since come to expect from his irritating captain. But the redhead simply stared at Hirato who was currently giving his report to the Head.

Tsukitachi raised his hand to hide a yawn. Meetings were ever so boring. Why couldn't something interesting happen? Oh, what he would give to see the reaction of all the captains and VIPs here if he _accidentally_ let slip about a certain dark-haired captain's midnight sojourns to a certain strawberry blond researcher's room. Or how Yogi, Nai and Gareki had taken to exploring the many secluded corners of the Second Ship. He would know this of course, since he took it to know everything that he could use in his arsenal against his persons of interest. He may be captain of the first ship but that did not mean that he could not keep his ears and eyes open on friendly territory.

Man, was he_ bored._

Slumped against the backrest of his chair, the first ship captain's eyes swept across the occupants of the meeting room. There was Tsukumo, seated between Hirato and Akari, who kept darting glances at the second ship captain. Hirato is of course, not unaware of his secret admirer if the tilt of his lips and the glint in his eye is any answer. Remembering the slight flush and guilty expression he had seen on Jiki's face earlier, Tsukitachi pondered how best to proceed with his next step. Jiki was like a skittish colt. Advance too fast and he would run in the opposite direction. He had drawn his attention during the speech, now he needed to lure him closer with little morsels, tempting him with the promise of each bite, enticing him to step closer and closer until he had nowhere else to run.

The meeting couldn't have ended earlier for Jiki. Tsukitachi had been especially annoying today and he had enough of the redhead's antics. Every suggestion, every comment he voiced out during the meeting was either unceremoniously shot down by his captain or disregarded with cool indifference. Not once had he been winked at, or smirked at or looked at for that matter! The left arm that would usually be draped across the backrest of his chair was instead lying on the table. Jiki muttered curse words under his breath.

_Not that I wanted him to wink or smirk at me or drape his arm over my chair. But would it kill the man to just listen to me? The way he is treating me, it is as if I were a fly under his boot!_

He hated being ignored. No one ignored Jiki. Especially not stupid, annoying, more often drunk than not redheads.

Tsukitachi congratulated himself as his subordinate left the room in a hurry. Oh, it had been hard to resist annoying Jiki as he usually did. His left arm still tingled where Jiki's sleeve had accidentally brushed against his in his hurry to leave. But it had been worth it. Throughout the remainder of the meeting, he had caught Jiki scowling at him openly, his eyes shooting daggers at him. As compared to the patronizing front Jiki often put on, Tsukitachi much preferred this huffy side to him. Now that his defences were down, springing the trap would be a walk in the park

_Ah, Jiki...why are you so cute?_

* * *

AN: Hi guys, as I won't have access to the internet for the next 6 weeks, the next chapter won't be released till, end July/early August.  
Thanks for reading and have a great summer!


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